Charles j



(No Model.)

0. J. COOK. TAIL PIECE FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. No. 475,674. Patented May 24, 1892.

H at

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J. COOK, CF MON"REAL, CANADA.

TAIL-PIECE FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 475,674, dated May 24, 1892.

Application filed March 9, 1892- Serial No. 424,328. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. COOK, of Montreal, in the Province of Quebec and Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tail-Pieces for Stringed Musical Instruments, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention is applicable to stringed musical instruments of various kinds, including banjos, violins, guitars, and others, the size and general shape of course being changed to suitthe particular instrument. It will here, however, be illustrated and described as applied to a banjo; and it consists of a tail-piece of novel construction and provided with independent cam-levers for pinching or holding the tail ends of the strings of the instrument, instead or securing them by tying knots or otherwise fasteningthem as is ordinarilydone, whereby the strings may be much more rapidly or readily secured at their propel-tension in position and be as easily removed when required, and other advantages are obtained, substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 represents a top View of a banjo in part with my invention applied. Fig. 2 is a front View of the improved tail-piece detached from the instrument, and Fig. 3 a sec tion of the same upon the line 3 3 in Fig. 2.

A indicates the body of a banjo in part to which the improved tail-piece is shown applied, and b b are the strings of the instrument.

B is the frame-piece of said tail-piece, made of metal and secured to the body part of the instrument by a nut c or otherwise. This frame B is constructed with ribs or partitions cl on its upper surface, dividing it into as many channel-ways a between said ribs as there are strin gs in the instrument, said channels running in direction of said strings and receiving the ends of the latter through or within them. Pivoted to and between these ribs (1 is a series (corresponding to the number of strni gs in the instrument) of cam-levers D, which, when shut down, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and by full lines in Fig. 3, serve to pinch or hold the ends of the strings within the channels 0, but which when raised, as 5 5 shown by dotted line in Fig. 3, admit of the strings being entered beneath them within the channels e, and also admit of said strings being as readily drawn out of the tail-piece when required.

Arranged so as to closely fit within the channels 6, so as to keep them from spreading, are cushions 8, preferably made of vulcanized fiber, such as used in electrical apparatus, to prevent the strings from being 6 cut and to securely hold the strings, as the pivoted holders or cam-levers D are turned down to press on the strings and slightly sink them into said fiber, but not sufficiently so to admit of the strings slipping. Any other substance than vulcanized fiber, which I prefer because it is of a tough nature, might be used to form the cushions .9, provided it is not too soft, so as to endanger the slipping of the strings by their sinking too deep in the cushions when pressed down by the cam-levers, or for instruments having large strings the cushions .9 might be dispensed with and grooves be out in the channels e for the strings to partly embed or lay themselves within.

A tail-piece constructed as described forms a quick-acting and sure one, and the tighter the strings are pulled the tighter, by reason of the cam-shaped levers, will be the grip or hold upon them. Even ahigh tension 011 the strings and tuning the instrument up high will not cause the strings after standing for some time to slip, and there is little or no wear on the cushions, which, if made of vulcanized fiber, will last for years and are then capable of being easily replaced by others. Said tail-piece will serve to prevent the iiistrument from getting'out of tune so fast as with the old tail-pieces in use and knotting of the strings. The instrument also seems 5 to have a better tone, and the improved tailpiece, besides being quick-acting, is neat, strong, and cheap.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters IOO Patent, is

1. A tail-piece for stringed musical instrusteer s Within or through them and with independent cam-shaped holders or levers pivoted to said ribs and adapted to grip or hold the strings within said channels, of cushions arranged within the channels between the latter and the earn-shaped holders or levers, essentially as described.

CHARLES J. COOK. Witnesses:

WM. J SCOTT, H. Soorr. 

